Month: July 2018

Fashion magazines target people every day with lists and charts telling them the latest trends and techniques to look better, skinnier, smarter, where to buy the hippest clothes or the latest shoes! If you’re a woman, you are probably bombarded more often than you like, and if you’re a man, you may not get the information that you really want to know! Due to the glut of information available, most people know the obvious things to do to look elegant or well groomed, such as getting a good haircut or wearing certain brand name clothes. However, this may lead people to overlook some simple, basic things that can be done RIGHT NOW to add that subtle flair and polish to your everyday look!

Renu Dalal-Jain, a certified image consultant and the owner of Flair Consulting in Philadelphia, PA, works with men and women to help them put their best personal face forward in social or corporate settings. She maintains that there are seven essential things any man or women can do, and often overlook, to help them present a well-groomed, neat, and elegant appearance to the world! And all this without spending a dime!

1) Keep your skin and lips well conditioned. Ashy knees, flaky skin and chapped lips do not look nice, and will make your skin look old and tired. This is especially important in colder weather. If you wear lipstick, it is imperative that you keep your lips moist, because chapped lips are even more apparent under color. Keep lip balm in your car and your bedside table and apply it whenever you get in the car and before going to bed at night.

2) Make sure your nails are well shaped and all a similar length. Nothing says you don’t care like ragged nails or nails that are different lengths! (Ladies, I know you worked hard to grow those nails but just because only one broke, you shouldn’t think nobody would notice!) If you polish your nails, keep your everyday color one shade brighter than your skin-tone. This looks professional and clean and makes your hands look elegant, especially if you wear rings. If you like brighter colors make sure you repair chipped polish right away! Chips in bright polish are extremely noticeable and make you look sloppy.

3) Make sure your clothes and accessories are in a similar color family – don’t wear shades of beige or brown clothing with black shoes or a white belt. As a rule of thumb, make sure your belt, shoes, and watchstrap are in the same color family. Sometimes a strikingly different purse or shoes can make a statement, but it has to be well planned. The article in question must be of good quality and in good condition, since you want people to notice it.

4) Your socks or hose must match either your shoes or your pants. Do not EVER wear blue socks with brown shoes, or black socks with sneakers! If you are wearing sling-back or open-back shoes, make sure your socks or hose are the color of your shoes or nude-colored. If you are wearing sandals, do NOT wear hose unless it is patterned (think fishnets) and “deliberately worn to make a trendy statement”.

5) Wear the highest length socks you can (at least mid to high calf-length). NOBODY wants to see shiny shins peeking out when you sit down!

6) Polish your shoes and clean your sneakers! The number one thing people forget to do when going out is to check their shoes for scuffs or dirt. Polished shoes show that you care about your appearance. The most expensive shoes in the world will look horrible if they are dirty or scuffed!

7) Keep your wallet or purse organized all the time. Nothing makes you look disorganized like an overstuffed wallet hanging on for dear life in your back pocket, or a purse bursting at the seams! Make yourself a system to keep the business cards, credit cards or receipts you don’t need all the time, in your briefcase or at home.

And a bonus: an understated use of scent (aftershave, cologne or perfume) shows that you take an extra step with your grooming and can have a positive effect not only on your own mood but on those around you. According to the Social Issues Research Center in Oxford, UK, subtle fragrances can have dramatic effects in improving your mood and sense of well-being. In addition, in experiments, subjects exposed to pleasant fragrances tend to give higher ‘attractiveness ratings’ to people in photographs. The regular use of pleasant fragrances helps to reduce mood disturbances in men and women.

Squeeze in a few extra minutes to your every day self care time and you’ll see how easily these step by step pampering recommendations will turn even the toughest days around. Or if you can negotiate a few minutes here and there from your day to get even more time…by all means… do it! Your family, friends and co-workers will meet a much happier, more chipper, fantastically refreshed you!

In Preparation:

First things, first. No shopping, buying or leaving the house. Scour the house for a few fun spa essentials and make a decadent ‘Home Spa Day’ just with what you have tucked away!
Why put off what you could be doing right now?! I suppose if you are out and about and feel so inclined to pick up special bath salts, moisturizers or essential oils… so be it. I admire your level of commitment!

– Grab your robe and slippers

– Find a soothing CD that you absolutely love

– Scented candle

– A washcloth, loofah, bath brush or a new scrubbie back there in the drawers you forgot about

– Fluffy cotton towel

– Bath salts or essential aromatic oils (if you have them)

– Your cleansers, toners and moisturizers

– Coarse sea salt

– Plenty of chilled spring water (with a splash of lime or lemon) in the fanciest glass you can find

– Steep a cup of green tea

Let go of your day… your obligations… responsibilities… stress… and strain. Toss out the barrage of thoughts streaming through your mind (even if it’s just for a moment). Trust me… they’ll still be around later for you to poke at, ponder or peruse.

Try to relax. Take yourself on a far away vacation in your head, tell yourself a “Once Upon A Time” story, remind yourself what a princess you are and remember how essential these precious moments are to your happiness and sanity!

Welcome To Your At Home Spa Vacation!

1. Take it easy and slow down your breath, your thoughts and your movements. Put on your favorite CD and start prepping a very simple shower or bath in a wonderfully slow, deliberate and unhurried way. Take time to watch the candle burn, smell the fragrance, feel the soft robe or towels, look at the sparkling drops of water and run your hands through it… take in the joyful process of an every day activity that we just fly through without a second thought!

2. Use essential oils. Not only do they smell great, but they are extremely good for your skin. The rule to applying essential oils is to never apply them directly on your face or skin. Just add about five drops to a bowl of warm water. Soak a washcloth in the water and then apply to your face and neck as a compress for five minutes. Repeat three times. Gently towel dry and finish yourself off with an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory facial splash.

If you have a choice of essential oils to choose from, select one that suits your mood and purpose. If you are desparking the stress level this holiday, choose soothing oils (like lavender, chamomile, jasmine, sandalwood and ylang-ylang). Good revitalizing and energizing oils when you need them are peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, basil and juniper. The aroma can also provide psychological and physical benefits too!
Essential oils can help with physical conditions, rejuvenate the skin, eliminate waste, alleviate stress, enhance your mood, restore vitality and facilitate the regeneration of new, healthy cells.

3. Basic Body Scrub and Cleansing If you decided you only have time for an indulgent, relaxing shower… start with a basic body scrub and cleansing. I found this fabulous new product called Spongeables (www.spongeables.com). It’s a soap and a sponge all in one. It lasts for a full month of frothy fragrant showering. My favorite fragrance is fresh lavender… and they have them fragrance free too if that’s more your style.

Another in home spa trick is to mix an ounce of ground sea salt with 10 or so drops of your favorite essential oil. Add water and make a paste so it spreads easily. Apply it to your entire body and slough off the dead skin with big circular strokes. This salt scrub will exfoliate dead skin cells, cleanse the pores and help your body get rid of any toxins.

4. Draw a bath. Add 5 to 10 drops of an essential oil to bath salts. Grab an extra pillow, put a kitchen trash bag over it to keep it dry and then put a pillow case over that. You just bought yourself 10 extra comfy minutes in the bath tub. You might as well take a book too! Follow it with a warm shower and a dry yourself off with a fluffy cotton towel. If someone in the house really loves you… get them to toss it in the dryer for 5 minutes and greet you with fluffy warmth. If you have a body toning lotion handy, apply to your body (not your face) for additional firming and toning so you’ll look even better in that little black dress.

5. Be nice to yourself. These are your precious rejuvenating moments. Take your time. Pamper yourself and try not to get caught up in the have-to’s and the should-do’s. Don’t be in a rush. Not only will you lose some of the benefits of this quality time to refresh and relax, you may start sloughing off and using rough, damaging strokes.

6. Hurrying has its risks. Without slow, mindful, attentive movements, you could cause inflammation and jeopardize that fresh, healthy, glowing complexion that will make you a bright shining super star. You can actually accelerate the aging process by being too rough! Now there’s a good enough reason in and of itself to slow down.

7. Care for your hair. It is taking a beating in these winter elements. Add ¼ ounce of lavender to sixteen ounces of shampoo. Or for oily hair, add ¼ ounce of lemongrass or rosemary to 16 ounces of shampoo. Essential oils can make invigorating scalp massages. Rosemary is awesome! If you decide not to use the oils, make sure you at least give yourself a long, sudsy scalp massage. Close your eyes, lay your head back and drift for a moment.

8. Replenish lost moisture to your skin and hair this winter by taking two tablespoons of organic flaxseed oil twice a day. You’ll get rid of the itchies and combat wrinkles and sagging skin.

9. Treat your fabulous face. All the treatments above were just for your bod. Your face is special and delicate. The skin on your face is thinner and more fragile than your body. Treat your face with extreme care and gentleness. Even though it’s cold avoid extremely hot water, harsh soaps or any drying cleansers.

Grab a new wash cloth or small sea sponge, add a few drops of your favorite cleanser (preferably an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory liquid cleanser) and then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Apply face firming treatment then put an ice cube inside of a small plastic bag and gently rub over the face and eye area for several minutes to tone and plump up the skin.

To remove the last bit of residue or stain on the hair (or to get color out immediately) make up a small batch of bleach mixture and add it to 2 tablespoons or so of shampoo in a cup. Stir it up.

Shampoo your hair with this mixture, “kneading” the hair. Start at the roots and work your way down to the end, and then back up.

You should see the color disappear right before your eyes.

Black hair dye is a special case.

It’s very hard to remove black hair dye from your hair completely, especially if it’s permanent. Better to let it grow out and not bleach it. Bleaching with chemicals damages the hair it may make it so stretchy and thin that it comes out in your comb.

Likewise if black hair dye stains skin or fabric. The best way is to prevent it from staining in the first place by applying Vaseline around the hairline before dyeing.

If black hair dye stains fabric then using detergent and water quickly is a good idea – otherwise dry cleaning may be required.

Black hair dye stains can also be removed by rubbing cigarette ash over the stained skin, dipping milk in cotton balls and rubbing over the stained area, rubbing on WD-40 or even nail polish remover or hair spray.

“Not everyone needs or should use a moisturizer, especially women with oily, combination, or acne-prone skin!” Paula Begoun, author of Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, writes on her website. But what if you just can’t part with your favorite day and night creams? What should you be looking for when shopping for a moisturizer?

According to Paula, a good moisturizer should contain emollients (essential for making skin not feel dry), water-binding agents (ingredients that attract water to the skin and help keep it there), anti-irritants and antioxidants. For daytime, it must contain a well-formulated sunscreen.

If you have an oily t-zone area (forehead, nose and cheeks) and your skin is normal to dry elsewhere on your face, you have combination skin. Most of us will have combination skin at some point in our lives. Use an oil-free moisturizer in the t-zone and a light moisturizer on other areas. In order to normalize your skin, it may be necessary to apply two different types of products on the different areas of your skin. Alternatively, you can skip the moisturizer for your t-zone entirely and just moisturize the cheeks and eyes.

If you have dry skin, your skin may feel dry and itchy and wrinkles are more obvious on your skin than other skin types. Although the use of a moisturizer can help to temporarily smooth out wrinkles, none of them can turn back the clock. Choose one which makes your skin look smooth and feel supple. A water-based moisturizer is preferable, although it won’t last as long as an oil-based moisturizer. However, emollients in water-based moisturizers such as plant oils and shea butter can help to provide your skin with essential moisture. (Tip: Apply moisturizer on damp skin to lock in moisture.)

If you have sensitive skin, you may have red patches on your face and/or are easily irritated by using certain products. It can be difficult to find a product which doesn’t aggravate your skin and cause breakouts or unsightly rashes. Look for moisturizers which do not contain fragrance and ingredients which you know can be potentially irritating to your skin. Even something as harmless as Aloe Vera can cause skin irritations!

Sunscreens are essential for daytime wear to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. There are plenty of sunscreens on the market which hydrate the skin as well as protect the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Why not skip the moisturizer and wear a sunscreen instead? The fewer products on your skin, the less likely your skin will develop an irritation to any of the ingredients.

The last step in your makeup regime is lipstick application. Some women say if they could have only one beauty item it would be lipstick. Lip color brings the whole look together to create harmony. To keep your lips looking perfect, have lip color with you at all times and reapply when needed.

When you select a lip color take in consideration your clothing and blush colors. The color of your clothing and blush should complement your lipstick but doesn’t have to be perfectly matched. However, the colors should be in the same intensity and range. Wear cool colors together and warm colors together. Pink lipsticks go with blue and pink colors and corals and russets go with clothing that falls in a yellow/orange range.

Steps to apply lip color:

1. Prepare your lips by applying foundation over them (this will extend the wear).

2. Outline and define the shape using a lip pencil that has soft, pointed top. Start at the V in your upper lip drawing down to the corners. Then, starting at the middle of the bottom lip draw a line to the corners. To help lipstick stay on longer, use your pencil to cover the lips entirely.

3. Fill in upper lip with lipstick or you can use a lip brush.

4. Fill in the lower lip and then blot with a tissue and reapply.

5. Dab gloss in the centre of your lower lip to create a fuller more glamorous look.

When defining the lips with a lip pencil be sure the pencil and lipstick colors are very close. The lip liner should not be noticeable. Lip liners are meant to keep your lipstick in place, keep lipstick from bleeding, define the shape and help them look more natural. Do not try to change the shape of your lips by going outside the natural line.

Unless your skin is absolutely flawless, concealer is a must. So before you use foundation have blemishes and dark circles concealed. The first step in concealing, whether it is dark circles or blemishes is choosing the right concealer. A good concealer does not go on dry and make your skin look cracked but is smooth, creamy and blends easily. Concealers that work best have a yellowish tone.

Dark Circles:

1. Before applying concealer gently pat a light eye cream under the eye to moisturize the skin. Use your ring finger to pat on moisturizer and concealer since the skin in this area is extra delicate and the ring finger, which has the least amount of strength, is less likely to pull or tear.

2. To apply concealer use a concealer brush (similar to a lip brush with soft bristles) to get in those hard to reach areas such as the inner corners of eyes and to get concealer exactly were you want it.

3. Apply the concealer under your eyes up as far as the lash line to the inner corners. Do not apply concealer to you eyelids because your eye shadow will crease. Then, pat to blend with your ring finger.

4. Apply foundation over the concealer, also in a patting motion around the eyes, being careful not to rub any concealer off.

5. In order for your foundation to have a nice clear look you must use an exfoliant regularly. After you have applied foundation use powder to keep the foundation in place. For more about foundation application go to http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Beauty-Tip:-Foundation-Secrets-For-A-Flawless-Complexion&id=4556

Blemishes:

1. Moisturize as usual and then blot a little concealer on the blemish using a concealer brush.

2. Apply foundation

3. If the blemish is still visible use the brush to paint a little foundation over the blemish.

There are diverse types of spas but speckled as they are, they are one in the advantages that they offer. Dissimilar to the general unanimity, going to a spa is not a waste of money and time. A trip to a day spa Sandton is not overindulgence. These days, where tension emerges every second, you unquestionably need to take a short break to escape. A small trip to the tropics is an impressive way to de-stress, but it takes time, money and work to plan such a trip. A trip to a spa is fast and very reasonable. Here are some reasons why you should visit a spa:

De-stress

A therapeutic massage will categorically relax and pacify you. You can just submerge yourself in a hot tub or a sauna or steam shower to sweep away the worries even for an hour or so. Aches and pains can also be handled well.

Get healthy

Your massage therapist will give be able to tell you portions of your body that are too tensed. In doing so, you can learn how to unwind your muscles, get instructions from the therapist on how to relax, eat nourishing food and recommendations for a healthy lifestyle.

Mental advantages

Whether you confess or not, spa treatments Cape Town will willingly relax you. It can motivate you mentally and physically. It can even upsurge your self-confidence and self-worth. A foot scrub can enliven you. Therapeutic massages, manicures, pedicures and facials have its psychological benefits.

Detox

Detoxification is the process purge toxins and excess fluids in the body. A detox can help eliminate bloating and water retention which will definitely make you feels great. Some spas offer juice fasting and colon cleansing.

Feel and look young

Taking good care of your body and mind can help dissuade aging. A therapeutic massage can aid you to relax and an unperturbed body interprets to less stress. Facials and other skincare services and body treatments can help you look and feel young again.

Improve blood circulation and handle blood pressure well

Spa treatments such as hydrotherapy, massage, heat therapy and other treatments can improve blood circulation and regulate blood pressure for the betterment of your life.

Management of body aches and pains

Massages, hydrotherapy and heat therapy can help diminish pain. There are health spas that can offer therapeutic programs to resolve arthritis and nerve sicknesses such as fibromyalgia.